Pivotal bevel gearing



March 23, 1954 J. A. NORTHCOTE 2,672,762

PIVOTAL BEVEL GEARING Filed July 13, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet l n 98 .i;i

7 FIG. I 101 3 2 95 I6 E E INVENTOR.

JOHN A. NORTHCOTE March 23, 1954 J. A. NORTHCZOTE PIVOTAL BEVEL GEARING 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 13, 1950 FlGo4 INVENTOR. JOHN A. NORTHCOTE Patented Mar. 23, 1954 PIVOTAL BEVEL GEARING John A. Northcote, Welland,

assignor to John Deere Plow Ontario, Canada, a corporation ited), Welland, of Canada Ontario, Canada, Company (Lim- Application July 13, 1950, Serial No. 173,585

11 Claims.

The present invention relates generally to agricultural machines and more particularly to imis carried. More particularly, it is an important feature of this invention to provide a drive gearing particularly adapted for use with castering Figure 1 is a plan view of a tiller equipped with one or more seeding units which are driven,

wheel of the tiller.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary side view, taken generally along the plane of the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a sectional view, at a somewhat &

The implement l is provided'with a seeding attachrnent 4 which includes a plurality of grain boxes 5 and 6 supported on the frame 2 and indicated by the arrow A in Figure 1. and forming a part of Secured to the implement frame 2 includes a rear down- 8 that is connected to by a pair of apertured extending portion a of is a wheel bracket 1 which wardly extending portion the main frame member 2 lugs Q. The downwardly wheel bracket i may be frame 2 by means of an eyebolt l2, one end of which is connected to a stud l3 and the frame 2, the other end being threaded and receiving a pair of lock nuts M which are disposed on opposite sides of the outer apertured end of the arm II. The wheel frame I also includes an upper forwardly extending section It which at its forward end receives, as by welding, a pair of upper and lower bracket plates I? and I8 which are apertured and have secured thereto a vertical sleeve section is which is welded or otherwise permanently fixed to the upper and lower bracket plates ii and I 8. Rockably mounted in the vertical sleeve section I9 is the upper end 22 of a spindle or axle 23, the lower end of which is angled reawardly and carries a stub axle 24 on which the wheel 3 is journaled for rotation. The spindle or axle 23 thus swings about a gen erally vertical axis as defined by the vertical sleeve section l9, relative to the implement frame 2, whereby the wheel 3 is mounted to swing about said vertical axis and to roll forwardly in the direction of travel at all times.

The mechanism by which the seeding means in the hoppers 5 and 6 is actuated from the ground wheel 5 will now be described. Mounted on the upper portion of the vertical sleeve section i9 is a pair of gear frames 3i and 32. The gear frame 3| comprises a Ushaped member having an intermediate section 33 and upper and lower side sections or legs 34 and 35. The other gear frame member 32 is ofsimilar construction, in cluding an intermediate section 3i; and upper and lower side sections or legs 3? and 38. .The gear frame member 3! has anupstanding lug 4H connected, as by welding, to the inner end of the lower side section 35, the upper end of the lug ti being apertured to receive the inner end of a stub shaft 52, the outer end of which extends outwardly through an opening 13 in the intermediate section 33 of the gear frame member 3i. Rotatably mounted on the stub shaft 42 is a gear member 45 which includes a laterally inner pinion section it and an outer or sprocket gear section 4?. An upstanding apertured. lug 48 is fixed, as by welding, to the outer end of the stub shaft 42, and the gear, frame section 33' is apertured to receive a bolt 49 which ex tends through the aperture in the lug it and serves thereby to detachably hold the stub shaft 42 in position in the gear frame The laterally inner ends of the upper and lower frame sections 3d and 35 are apertured to receive a vertically extending sleeve iii, the lower portion of which is disposed snugly about the upper portion of the vertical sleeve section I3. An abutment ring 55 is welded or otherwise fixed to the lower end of the vertical sleeve and receives the apertured, laterally inner end of the lower side member 38 of the other gear frame member 32. The laterally inner end of the upper side member 31 of the gear frame member 32 is likewise apertured and receives the upper end of the sleeve ill. The upper end of the latter carries a closure 56, preferably in the form of a washer, securely welded to the upper end of the vertical sleeve 5|. A nut 51 is secured, as by welding, to the inner face of the closure 56 and receives a bolt 58 which serves as means for securely clamping a cap member 59 to the upper end of the sleeve 5!. The cap member 59 extends laterally outwardly beyond the sleeve so as to engage the side member 3'; of the gear frame 32, and since the upper and lower side sections of the other gear frame 3! lie between the upper and lower side members 21 and 33 of the gear frame 32, the two pivotally interconnected frames are thus held in assembled relation, one pivoting relative to the other about the sleeve 5!. The lower abutment member 55 as turned up portions 69 (Figure 2) which cooperate with the lower side section 38 of the gear frame 32 to cause the sleeve 5! to turn with the gear frame 32. Like the .gear frame 3 i, the gear frame 32 carries a stub shaft 6!, the inner end of which is carried in an aperture formed in a lug 62 which is welded at its lower end to the lower side section 38, and the central section so of the gear frame is apertured to receive the outer end of the stub shaft SI. The outer end of the latter receives a lug 64 which is removably held in place by a bolt 65. Rotatably mounted on the stub shaft Si is a compound gear member 66 which includes an inner pinion 61 and an outer sprocket gear section 68, the member 66 preferably being identical with the compound gear member 45 described above. Similarly, the stub shafts 42 and 6! preferably are identical.

The gear frame 3i carries upper and lower bearing members 1! and I2, preferably welded, respectively, to the upper and lower side sections 34 and 35, the bearing members It and 12 receiving the vertical sleeve 5i, and in the space between the upper and lower bearing members II and I2 is a bevel gear I3 which meshes with the two pinion sections 45 and 61.

The gear frame 3! has depending frame section .80 which includes an offset plate section iii and an angle section 82, both being welded to the lower side section 35 of the gear frame 3i and extending downwardly therefrom. The ends of the depending frame sections 8i and 82 are slotted, as at 82a (Figure 4), to receive a bolt 83 on which an idler sprocket M, which is disposed in the plane of the sprocket member 41, is dis posed. Also, the lower end of the offset plate section BI is apertured to receive a bolt 85 which fastens the part 8| to a lug 86 which is welded to the spindle 23. By virtue of this construction, the gear frame 3| is caused to swing relative to the other gear frame 32 with the spindle member 23 and the ground wheel 3. A driving chain 86 is trained over the idler sprocket M,

7 member 31 of the gear the sprocket member 41 and the sprocket 81 connected to be rotated by the ground wheel 3, as best shown in Figure 1. A second idler sprockat 558 is mounted on a downwardly extending arm 3?), the upper end of which is pivotally carried in an aperture in 2, lug 9| and an aperture in the upper portion of the offset plate member ti. A torsion spring 92 yieldably pivots arm 89 to press the idler sprocket 83 against the chain 86. Thus, the ground wheel 3, acting through the sprocket t1 and chain at, drives the compound gear member 45 in any position of the caster wheel 3, and the bevel pinion it of the gear member 45 serves to drive the bevel gear 13. Rotation .of the bevel gear member I3 acts through the bevel pinion 61 to drive the sprocket section so of the compound gear member 66, and rotation of the member 68 is utilized for driving the seeding mechanism of the hopper or hoppers carried by the implement frame 2. To this end, a sprocket chain 55 is trained over the sprocket gear member 68 and over a similar sprocket gear member 95 that is loosely mounted on a shaft ill carried by suitable bearing means in a jackshaft frame 98 fixed to one or more of the hoppers on the implement I. The sprocket member 56 is controllably connected to drive the shaft 97, on which a drive sprocket 9-9 is fixed, by any suitable means, such as a clutch unit I8], the particular details of which are of no concorn in the present invention. The chain 95 is maintained in operating tautness by a springbiased idler :62 which includes a chain-engaging idler sprocket Hi3 mounted for rotation on an arm EM pivotally connected with the gear frame 32, as best shown in Figure 3. The idler arm N4 is biased for downward movement by a torsion spring we.

The gear frame 32 is connected with the wheel frame member I by a rod III, the forward or inner end of which is threaded to receive a pair of lock nuts i I2 which are disposed on opposite sides of an apertured lug IE3 which the threaded end of the rod Iii extends, as best shown in Figure 1. The other end of the rod member III is bent laterally downwardly, as indicated at 4 I4 in Figure 3, and extends through an opening in the lower side member 38 of the gear frame 32, being held in position therein by a cotter H5 or other suitable means, The position of the gear frame 32 relative to the wheel frame I may be adjusted, as desired, by loosening one of the lock nuts H2 and tightening the other. By virtue of this adjustment, the sprocket 68 may be accurately lined up with the sprocket as, as best shown in Figure 1.

The main bevel gear I3 and the bevel pinions 46 and 51 are protected by means of a pair of arcuate shields Ill and H8, One end of each of the shields is bolted, as at I I9, to a bracket IZI which has its upper section turned forwardly and held in position by the bolt 58. The other end of the upper shield H8 is fixed by any suitable means to 2. lug I22 which is carried by the upper frame 32, and the other end of the lower shield II! is similarly fixed to a lug I23 fixed to the lower section of the gear frame 32, as best shown in Figure 3. The shields I I! and I I8 extend counterclockwise (as viewed in Figure 1) from the bolts H9 to the lugs 22 and I23 in paths the lengths of which are about threefourths of the arcs of the corresponding circles.

The drive gearing of the present invention may readily be installed on an agricultural implement of the type described, merely by applying the in:

terconnected gear frames 3| and 32 over the upper portion of the vertical sleeve section l9, and then connecting the depending frame section Bil to the lug 86, and the rod Ill between the gear frame 32 and the lug H3 on the wheel frame. Installation of the drive chains 86 and 95 then completes the assembly of the ground wheel driven means of the present invention on the implement for actuating the seeding units thereof.

While I have shown and described above the preferred structure in which the principles of the present invention have been incorporated, it is to be understood that my invention is not to be limited to the particular details shown and described above, but that, in fact, widely different means may be employed in the practice of the broader aspects of my invention.

What I claim, therefore, and desired to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a seeding attachment for an agricultural implement, driving mechanism therefor comprising a pair of pivotally interconnected gear frames, each comprising a generally U-shaped part having vertically spaced apart legs disposed ceive the upper and lower portions of said vertical sleeve, the legs of said other frame member having relatively short, axially extending bearing sleeve sections disposed about the upper and lower portions of said vertical sleeve, a bevel gear disposed about said vertical sleeve between said bearing sleeve sections, a stub shaft carried by each of said fram members, and a pinion rotatably mounted on each of said shafts, said pinions being adapted to mesh with said bevel gear.

2. In a seeding attachment for an agricultural implement, driving mechanism comprising a pair of gear frames, one including a sleeve section, means for swingably connecting the other of said gear frames for movement about said sleeve section, a gear rotatable about said sleeve section, a pair of gear means, one carried by each of said gear frames and each meshing with said gear, means for transmitting driving power to one of said gear means, means carried by the other of said gear frame for holding said first mentioned gear against axial displacement, and means connected with the transmitting the drive to a point of utilization.

3. In an agricultural implement including a wheel bracket having a vertical sleeve section and a castering spindle swingably mounted in said vertical sleeve section; driving prising a pair of gear frames, means pivotally interconnecting said gear frames, comprising a generally vertical sleeve adapted to surround and be mounted on said vertical sleeve section, a generally horizontal gear rotatably mounted on said vertical sleeve, a pair of pinions rotatably supported, respectively, by said articulated frame members and in mesh with said horizontal gear, means for transmitting the drive to one of said pinions, means receiving the drive from the other of said pinions and transmitting it to a point of utilization, and means surrounding said vertical sleeve above and below said horizontal gear and carried by one of said frames for holding said horizontal gear against vertical displacement.

4. For use with an agricultural machine including a vertical sleeve section, driving mechanism comprising a pair of articulated gear frames, means pivotally connecting said gear frames including a generally vertical sleeve adapted to be other of said gear means for mechanism comdisposed in a. vertical position about said vertical sleeve section, sleeve with one therewith about said pinions meshing with said pair of sleeve sections carried by said other gear frame and disposed above and below said gear holding the latter against axial displacement relative to said vertical sleeve, and means for detachably fixing each of said shafts to the associated gear frame.

5. The invention set forth in claim 4, further characterized by a closure at the upper end of said vertical sleeve, an abutment at the lower end of said vertical sleeve, and means connected with said closure for holding said gear frame members in pivotal relation with respect to said vertical sleeve.

6. The invention set forth in claim 4, further characterized by shield means carried by one of said gear frames and encircling said gear member and the associated pinion for protecting said gear and pinions.

7. Driving mechanism comprising a pair of generally U-shaped frames, each frame having upper and lower leg portions that are apertured, a cylindrical member extending through said apertures and thereby pivotally interconnecting ear member, a

rotatable relative thereto, means including a pinion carried by each of said frames, said pinion meshing with said gear, means at the lower end of said cylindrical member for connecting the latter with one of said frames, so as to cause them to rotate together, and means carried at the upper end of said cylindrical member for holding said gear frames in pivotally interconnected relation.

8. Driving mechanism comprising a central cylindrical member, a, pair of U-shaped frames cylindrical member, a gear member mounted for cylindrical member between the end portions of said U-shaped frames, shaft sections carried by said frames, and gear means rotatably mounted on said shaft sections and meshing with said gearmember.

9. Driving mechanism as defined in claim 8, further characterized by each of said frame members including a bracket disposed adjacent said cylindrical member, said bracket and a portion of the associated frame being apertured to receive said shaft section, and means for removably fixing each shaft section to the associated frame.

10. The invention set forth in claim 9, further characterized by each shaft section including an apertured lug, and means for fixing each lug to the associated frame.

11. Driving mechanism associated with a pair of relatively swingable parts, said driving mechanism comprising a central cylindrical member, a pair of U-shaped frames having apertured ends swingably mounted on said cylindrical member, a gear member mounted for rotation on said cylindrical member between the end portions of said U-shaped frames, shaft sections carried by said frames, gear means rotatably mounted on said shaft sections and meshing with said gear member, a part connected with one of said frames for fixing it against rotation relative to one of said parts, and a second attaching means conassociated part.

JOHN A. NORTHCOTE.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Smith June 25, 1867 Number Number 8 Name Date Storm Sept. 7-, 189? Palmer Oct. '7, 1902 Fry May 24, 1904 Skovbroten June 23, 1914 Bloom Nov. 5, 1918 Kumler Apr. 1, 1924 

